Recreational Oystering

License Requirements

• Basic Fishing License
• Saltwater Fishing License
• A Recreational Tonging License is required for each tong in use.
• A Senior Fishing License is required of residents who turned 60 years of age on or after June 1, 2000, to take oysters.

Methods of Take

Recreational oyster harvest for home consumption is limited to tonging or gathering by hand.

Restrictions On Methods of Take

Culling oysters, the act of discarding undersized oysters or dead shell, is allowed only on the open designated public areas or on private leases on which the fisherman is authorized to take oysters. At no time is the act of culling oysters be permitted in areas closed to oyster harvest.

The harvest or take of oysters during the period of one-half hour after sunset until one-half hour before sunrise is prohibited.

Oysters taken from the reefs of Louisiana either for sale or consumption must be landed in Louisiana, except with a valid out-of-state oyster-landing permit and with the fisherman being in compliance with all other rules and regulations.

Seasons

The LWFC determines the public oyster areas to be opened for oyster fishing by opening and closing the seasons as biological and technical data indicates. The owner of an oyster lease or his designee, with written permission, may fish oysters at any time of year on their lease.

The recreational oyster season is consistent with the commercial season. For current oyster season information, click here.

EXCEPTION: Areas opened by the LWFC may, however, be closed by the LDHH for public health reasons. Information on LDHH closed areas is available at www.dhh.la.gov.

Size and Possession Limits

All oysters taken from public oyster areas must be 3 inches or greater in length from hinge to mouth. A lessee of private oyster areas may be permitted to take undersized oysters from public areas for bedding purposes only.

Size restrictions do not apply to oysters taken from a private lease.

Recreational oyster fishermen may harvest oysters from a lease only with the written permission of the leaseholder or in public oyster areas open for the harvesting of oysters. Recreational oyster harvesters are limited to two sacks per person per day for personal consumption, except in the Calcasieu Lake Public Oyster area where the limit is set at one sack per person per day.

Leases